Key-locking mechanism for writing and adding machines.



APPLICATION FILED JULY 7, 1909.

Patented 0011.13, 19111.

4 SEEETS`SHEET l.

W. L. BENCH. KEY LOCKING MEGHANISM P611 WRITING AND ADDING MACHINES.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

H/TNESSES W. L. BENCH. KEY LOCKING MEGIIANISM FOR WRITING AND ADDING MACHINES, APPLICATION FILED JULY 7, 1909.

1,1 18,315. 'Patented 0@I.13,1914-.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

ADD 4 WYTNLSSES A W. L. BENCH. KEY LOCKING MEGHANISM FOR WRITING AND ADDING MACHINES.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 7, 1909.

Patented OCS. 13, 1914.

4- SHEETS-SHEET 4.

WITNESSES 'UNTED STATES PAEENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM L. BENCH, 0F PELLI-ZAM, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO ELLIOTT-FISHER COM- PANY, OF HARRISBURG, PENNSYLVANIA, A CORPORATION OF DELAWARE.

KEY-LOCKING MECHANISIYI FOR WRITING AND ADDING MACHINES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 13, 1914.

Application filed Jluly 7, 1909. Serial No. 506,318.

To all whom t may concern Be it known that I, WILLIAM L. DENCH, a. citizen of the United States of America, residing at Pelham, in the county of Testchester and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Key-Locking Mechanism for Writing and Adding Machines, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to combined typewriting and adding machines, and more particularly to a novelmechanism for automatically locking the numeral keys during retraction across the column.

By way of premise, it may bestated that the invention is designed toconstitute a part of the equipment of whatfis known to commerce as the Elliott-Fisher writing-adding machine, in which a flat platen or downwardly printing typewriter' is equipped with a computing deviceA or register which is relatively stationary with respect to ai master actuating means movable with the typewriter carriage and operated from the nunieral keys. In this machine certain mechanisms of the register are reset automatically by the retraction of the typewriter carriage across the column. Therefore. in order to prevent the operation of the computing device or register at a time when the mechanism thereof is not in proper operative condition, the machine includes provision for automaticallyl disconnecting the numeral keys from the master actuator during the retractile movement referred to. Notwithstanding this disconnection of the keys and adding mechanism, it may be possible to operate the numeral keys before the proper retractile movement has been completed, thereby printing a number in the column without accumulating the same in the register. By reason of this possibility it has been proposed to dog the carriage'against forward movement until the proper rectractile movement thereof has been completed, such clogging means being shown in my copending application No. 438,835, and serving to apprise the operator of the improper manipulation of the machine by the failure of the carriage to feed forward when the improperly operated kev rises. While this clogging means is an eiiective safeguard, it

is apparent that a single digit may be printed before the operatoryis apprized of his error.

The object of thepresent invention, therefore, is to provide means whereby, when the retractile movement of the carriage across the column is commenced, the numeral keys will be automatically locked and will remain locked until the requisite retractile movement necessary to the proper position- ,ing of the mechanism has been completed, at which time the keys will be automatically unlocked to permit the normal operation-of .the machine.

A further object of the invention is to place the key locking mechanism under the vcontrol `.of the setting device for the k'ey connecting mechanism so that the key locking means will be rendered entirely inoperative when the key connecting mechanism is yunset to permit the use of the typewriter independently of the adding mechanism.

To the accomplishment of these objects, the preferred embodiment of the invention resides in that construction and arrangement of parts to be hereinafter described,

V4illustrated in the accompanying drawings,

and succinctly defined in the appended claims. i

In the accompanying drawings-Figure 1' is a vert-ical section through so much of an Elliott-Fisher writing-addingl machine as is necessary to illustrate my invention applied thereto. Fig'. 2 is a plan view of the same with parts removed. Fig. 3 is a vertical section through a portion of the machine with the key locking mechanism in its unlocked position. Fig. 4 is a similar view with the keys locked. Fig. 5 is a detail perspective view of a portion of the key locking mechanism detached. Fig. G is a group of detail views of other elements of the key locking mechanism. Fig. 7 is a rear elevation of a portion of the carriage showing certain elements of the key locking meenanism. Fig. 8 is a perspective view designed to illustrate both the key connecting and the key locking mechanisms and to show theirrelation, and Fig. 9 is a detail view of a modified form of the lever 52. the moditication consisting in omitting the projecttion 43 and providing a vertically disposed slot 4:3et which receives the abutment 50 in the rearward position of the setting plate 47.

The Elliott-Fisher mach-na-The Elliott- Fisher machine to which my invention is shown applied inlcludes in its organization a flat platen l over which travels longitudinally for linee spacing a machine frame 2 upon which travels transversely of. the platen for letter spacing a carriage 3. Supported on and movable with the carriage 3 is printing mechanism in the form of type arms 4 connected by draw-wires' "to key levers 6 fulcrumed in [le casing 7 'of the carriage and connected to the stems 8 of letter and numeral keys 9 and 10, the former being indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 1 The carriage 3 advances step-by-step under the impulse of carriage propelling mechanism, not shown, and this-letter space movement is controlled by escapement mechanism operated from the keys in a manner familiar to those skilled in the art and therefore requiring n o specic disclosure. Likewise the f machine 1s equipped with inking mechanism and other appurtenances which, being well understood, have -been omitted from the drawings.

The adding mechanism- Since the machinesis designed to add as well as'record columns of numbers, a register or computing device 11 is mounted in rear of the carriageupon a supporting bar 12 carried by brackets 13 secured at the upper rear corner of the frame 2. The register 11, so far as my present invention is concerned, may be of any approved form, but a construction available' for use is shown in Patent No, 825,494 to J.'

A. Smith and also in the copending application No. 308,279 to Laganke and Smith. The register includes, as usual, a series of denominational members or wheels 14 oc,- cupying progressive denominations and associated with suitable carrying mechanism, the digits from 1 to 9 being .displayed upon the peripheries of said wheels, or, as in the form of register shown, upon registering wheels 15 geared to the wheels lirst named, one digit on each wheelbeing displayed opposite the sight opening at the front of the register. The denominational wheels 14 of the register lllare voperated lby a master wheel- 1G movable with the carriage 3 to engage successive number wheels and operated 'from the numeral keys 10 of the typewriter through the medium of a series of operating connections one of Whiah, 17, is indicated generally in Fig. 1. The several connections 17 are alike, with the exception that they are graduated as to the degree of transmitted movement so that the master wheel 1G is rotated from onel to nine units of movement byfthe respective numeral keys, for the purpose of accumulating in the register the value' represented by the key ,from which it is operated and by the digit which is printed upon the depression of said key. The master wheel and its operating connections are fully disclosed in Patent No. 829,971 to Laganke and Smith, to which reference is made for a more fvmplete disclosure than is thought necessary for present purposes.

"in Fi o' 4 mechanism under normal conditions and to be connected therewith when the printing point of the typewriter is within the normal or adding eld and the adding mechanism is in condition for operation. This connection between the adding mechanism and -keys is ordinarily controlled by what is known as automatic key connecting mechanism, which is fully disclosed in Patent No. 863,232 to John A. Smith, but will be briefly described since this mechanism enters into combination with'the novel features to -bc hereinafter referred to.

Mounted in the casing 7 of the carriage is what is known as a. keyconnecting yoke 2O engaging longitudinal 4slots in the several links 18 and adapted to be swung for 4the purpose of shifting the links 18 into and out of engagement with the stems 8 ofthe numeral keys. The yoke 20 is operated by a yoke-operating lever 21 with which is fassociated a shiftable setting plate 22 carrying an abutment roller 23 shiftable with the plate 22 to or from a position above the rear end of what is known as an intermediate lever 24: fulcrumed in the carriage casing, as

shown in Fig.v 8, and having its rear end protruded through the rear wall of t-he casing and engaged by an arm 25 fulcrumed upon a screw stud 2G and normally held 'in an elevated position by a spring 27. Also fulcrumed on the stud 26 is what is known as the key connecting arm 28 resting upon an adjustable abutment 29 en the arm 25 and having at its free end a cam 30 adapted to ride under a plate or ledge 31 which projects beyondthe lower front corner of the register, as shown, see particularly Figs. 7 and 8.

It will be seen that if the links 18 are in their normal disconnected positions, shown g. l, the forward movement 'of the carriage will cause the cam 30 to be engaged with and depressed by the register plate 31` thus depressing the arm 28 and with it the arm 25, the latter in turn depressing the rear end 'of the lever 24 which, by engagement with the abutment roller 23will elevate the rear end of the yoke-operating lever '21 which will swing the yoke-2O forwardly and thusI cause the latter tomove the'links 18 into connection with F ig. 1.

In addition to the parts recited the key connecting mechanism includes means whereby it ,ay be set for automatic operation when e cam 30 engages the plate 31 or unthe key stems, see

set so that the keys will remain disconnected from the adding mechanism While the adding field, as well as other portions of the irork sheet, are being traversed. This setting mechanism includes a setting lever 32, see Figs. 2 and 8, fulcrumed at 33 and connected at one end to a setting' key 34 and at its opposite end to the setting plate 22.

By shifting the key 34 the abutment roller 23 may be 'moved to add position, see Fits'. S, in which event the keys will be automatically connected when the master Wheel comes opposite the register, or to the total position, see F ig. 3, in which event the depression of the arm 30 by the plate 3l will not efi'ect the operation of the lever 21 and as a consequence no auinnatic connection of the keys with the adding mechanism will be effected when the column is reached.

The key locking mechanism-I now come to that portion of the structure Which em1 braces the novel features introduced by me for the accomplishment of the recited objects. Journaled in bearings 35 upst-anding from the bottom of the casing 7 is arock shaft 3G provided with a series of laterally disposed longitudinally adjustable stops 37 which may be n the form of screws screwed into the shaft 36 and secured by lock nuts 38. Normally the stops or locking members 37 occupy the positions shown in Fig. 3, but by the oscillation of the shaft 36, these stops may be raised to vertical positions, as shown in Fig. 4, which Will present them immediately under the stems S of the numeral keys lO to lock the latter against depression. lVhile the shaft 36 may be. rotated by hand, or by 4any suitable means, the present embodiment of the invent-ion comprehends the automatic operationpf the locking,` shaft 36 to lock the keys when the carriage is retracted across the column or adding` field so that'the .keys cannot be operated during such retraction of the carriage as is necessary in the machine here shown to restore certain elements, to-Wit, the carrying mechanism, to normal position.

In the machine as heretofore constructed and as fully described in 7atent No. already referred to` the cam 30 not only rides under the register plate 31 upon the forward movement of the carriage, but rises and rides over the plate as thc carriage is retracted. see for instance Fig. The arm 23 is therefore` available to operato the key locking nuchanism and l have devised a connection between the arm 28 and the shaft 36 whereby, when the cam 30 rises over the plate 3l. the shitting' of the arm 2S thus effected will rock 'the shaft 36 from its normal position. shown in Fig'. 3, to its locking` position. shown in Fig. 4, the keys being` maintained in this lorlic'l condition until the retrartile movement ot' the carriage across the adding field is completed and the cam drops off of the left hand end oi' the plate 311 looking from the 'front of the machine. Extended rom the shaft 3G a short arm 39 connected by a link 4t) to an arm 4l extended from the inner end of a comparatively short rock shaft 42 journaled in bearings 43 and 44, the former upstanding` from the base of the carriage and the latter being secured to one of the carriage posts. llncircling the shaft 42 and having; one end engaging' the bracket 43 and its opposite end secured to a set collar 45 on thc shaft, a retracting spring 42 which tends to rotate the shaft in the proper direction to retain the locking` shaft 36 in the normal position, indicated in Figs. 3 and At the cnd of the shat't 42 opposite the arm 4l is secured a bearing;` plate 46 form longitlulinally adjustable sctting` plate 47 having a longitudinal slot 4S for the reception ot suppurtingi screws 4f) which retain the setting` plate 4i upon` the bearing plate 45, but permit the setting` plate to have sufficient longitudinal moven'ient to render the mechanism operative or inoperative in a manner to be described. 't the end of the setting' plate 4T, unich in eli'ert is an arm of the rock shaft 42. liorincd a lateral projection, luo, or abutment 50. which, when the automatic key locking mechanism is Set, overlies a similar but oppositcly disposed projection 5l on the rear end ot a lever fulcrumed on a bracket 53 extended from the back Wall of the carriage casing. as shown in Fig. S. The rear end ot the lever 52 projects through a vertical slot 54 in the carriage casing and underlies an arm 53 secured by extending the arm a r-inisidertible distance to the right of its tulcrinn, viewed from the rear, the arms 23 and :35 producing a lever fulcrumcd on the stud 2li and having itsopposite ends adapted to coact with the register plate 3l and the lcrer 52 respectively.

it will now be seen that with the elements of the key locking;- mechanism in the positions shown in Figs. 5, and 3. the carriage will advance across the column with thc numeral keys unlocked and capable of operation to actuate the printing mechanism and vided-the key connecting' mechani"A n is act Jor opera-tion. As soon, however. g the retraction of the carriage is commenced the cam 2O riding,r up over the platel. Fig. 4, Will elevate the arm 28 and tlc-press the arm 55, the latter in turn sliiitinn the lover 52 which Will raise the rear cnil ci' the sciting plate 4 and thus rcel.F the shalt l2 against the resistance of tht` sp1-ino' Vh3 to rock the lockingr shaft 516 iront tinl normal position shown in Fig. i) to they lacking position shown in Fin'. 4 through tln nxt-divini of the link 40 and the arm: ind il. til rionsly. soon a hasr been suticiently retrat,

also to actuate the adding mechanism. prothe plate 31 and the spring i6 will restore the key locking mechanism to normal unlocked position. The positions assumed by Athe parts during retraction of the carriage across the register and adding field, are fully shown in Fig. et.

The setting merma for the key locking mecham`sm.-The Elliott Fisher gested, for independent use as a typewriter as well as for typewriting' and adding. It is because of this diversity of uses that the key connecting) mechanism is provided with setting means 'y means of which the mechanism may be set for automatic actuation when the printing point moves into the column, or unset so that no connection of the keys with the adding mechanism will be effected, even when passing through the register or across the field or column.

Since my key locking mechanism has been designed as an adjunct of the combined typewriting and adding machine, and is intended to be used only when the carriage is retracted across the column during the type- Writing and adding operation, it is also desirable'to provide setting means for this key locking mechanism so that it will be effective for automatic operation only when the machine is set forv addition. l therefore uti-v ment roller 32 will occupy its forward posi-- tion beyond the front end of the lever 2e and the key locking mechanism will likewise be unset because the setting plate 47 will occupy its rearmost position which will present the abutment- 50 in rear of and out of coincidence with the projection 51 on the lever 52. Therefore, when thelmachine is unset for addition, the cam 30 will ride under the plate 31, as usual, during the forward movement of the carriage, but will not connect the keys with the adding mechanism, the positions as-V sumed by the parts during such forward movement of the unset'machine being shown in Fig. 3. Similarly, whentbefcarriage of the unset machine is retracted, the cam 30 will ride up over the plate 31 andthe arm 55 will operate the lever 52 of the key locking mechanism, but such operation will be ineffective tolcck the keys because the prof jections 50 and 51 being out of coincidence, as` shown in Fig. 3, the movement of the lever 52 will be idle and will not effect the transmission of motion to the locking shaft machine here ,shown 1s mtended, as heretofore sugbe moved rea Wardly into coperativerelation with the ever 24 and the setting plate i? of .the key locking mechanism will be moved forwardly to move the abutment 50 .from the position shown 'in Fig. 3 to a position above the projection 51 on the lever 52, as shown 1n Figs. 1, 4 and S. Therefore, as

vthe carriage of the set machinermoves forwardly the cam 30 will ride under the register plate 31 and effect the operation of the key connecting mechanism to connect the keys 10 with the adding mechanism, as shown `in Fig. 1, but, as soon as the return movement of the carriage is commenced, the cam 30 riding up over the plate 31, will permit the disconnection of the keys in a manner well understood in the art and will operate the key locking mechanism in the manner already described and as shown in Fig. at, to lock'the numeral keys 10 against depression and thus prevent any operation whatever of the adding mechanism until the carriage has been sufficiently retracted to permit the cam Il() to drop from the end of the plate 31 at l.which time the keys will be automatically unlocked by the retraction of the key locking mechanism under the inliuence of the spring 46.

lt is thought that from the foregoing, the

construction and operation of the mechanism constituting my invention will -be clearly understood, but whilethe illustrated structure is thought at this time to be preferable, l wish to expressly reserve the right to effect such variations thereof as may come'` fairly within the scope of the protection prayed. 'i

What I claim is 1.The combination with adding mechanism and operating means therefor, relatively movable in a lateral direction to change their'denominational relation and also having relative retractile movement, of locking mechanism effective during the retractile movement only to prevent the actua-` tion of the operating mechanism.

2. The combination with adding mechanism, operating keys therefor and intermediate operating connections, said adding mechanism and keys having relative movement in one direction' to change their denominational relation and also having relative movement inv aretractile direction, and key lockin means rendered effective by said retractile l ovement and servingto' lock the keys until such retractile movement hasA been .'completed.

3. In a combined recording and adding machine, the combination with adding mechanism, recording mechanism, and keys common to both the adding and recording mech anisms and operative to cause the recording mechanism to print both inside and outside of the adding field, and said recording and adding mechanisms having relative lateral movement to change their denominational relation and to permit recording both Within and Without the adding field', and also having relative retractile movement, and key locking mechanism rendered effective by the relative retractile movement of the adding and recording mechanisms to lock the keys during thatpart ci the retractile movement in which the recording mechanism is disposed opposite the adding ield.

t. The combination With an adding mechanism, a traveling carriage movable back and 'forth across the adding lield, recording mechanism, and keys controlling the operation of both the recording and addingmechanisms, of key locking means inei'ective during the movement of the carriage in one direction and effective, during the retraction of the carriage across the adding field, to prevent the operation of the keys.

5. In` combined recording and adding machine, the combination with adding mechanism, recording mechanism, and keys, of automatic key locking mechanism operative to lock the keys during the retraction of the recording mechanism across the adding field.

6. In a recording and adding machine, the combination With recording mechanism, adding mechanism, and keys, of a movable carriage, automatic key connecting mechanism operative to connect the keys and adding mechanism during the movement of the carriage in one direction, and automatic key Copies ofthis patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressing the locking mechanism operative to lock the keys during the movement of the carriage in 4the opposite direction.

7. In a combined recording and adding machine, the combination with recording mechanism, adding mechanism, and keys normally disconnected from the adding mechanism, of automatically operated mechanism operative to alternately connect the keys With the adding mechanism and lock said keys.

8. .ln a combined recording and adding machine, the combination with recording mechanislmkeys therefor, and adding mechanism normal y disconnected from the keys, of key locking and connecting mechanism automatically operated to connect the keys with the adding mechanism and to unlock said keys andto lock the keys and disconnect the same from the adding mechanism.

9. In a recording and adding machine, the combination with recording mechanism, keys therefor and adding mechanism normally disconnected from the keys, of key connecting inechanism and key locking mechanism, said mechanisms including setting means common to both mechanisms.

10. In .a recording and adding machine, the combination with recording mechanism, keys therefor, and adding mechanism normally disconnected from the keys, of automatically operated key connecting mechanism, automatically operated key .locking mechanism, and a setting key common to both mechanisms.

In testimony whereof I atiiX my signature in presence of tivo Witnesses.

VILLlAM L. DENCH.

1Witnesses:

LOUISE MAIER, iV. A. HARDY.

Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. C. 

